European Societies

European Societies So now we have come to the discussion of the final

ethnic group of our chapter discussion revolving around Chapters one and two – The Europeans!

What we have discussed to date are certain given facts that we know in our attempt to “Do History” and therefore to understand the foundation of our country better.

However, as we proceed and as you internalize this information (which is the process of thinking) you must come to some conclusions about what you think.

And it will be these conclusions in the form of the under lying questions that must be answered.

Think Different!

In Review – The Colombian Exchange Pangea as been resurrected and has reemerged.

No longer do two ecosystems exist.

The European ecosystem has invaded the North American Ecosystem.

This process, first studied comprehensively by American historian Alfred Crosby, was called the Columbian Exchange.

The Columbian Exchange is the movement of plants, animals, and diseases between the Eastern and Western hemispheres.

The stage is set: A Cultural CollisionAt this point in human history, not only do we have an ecological collision of germ warfare between the Western Hemisphere (North America) and the Eastern Hemisphere (Europe)

We also have the stage set for a cultural collision between:

I. The local Native American tribes who have inhabited the Americas for thousands of years

II. The adventuresome Europeans whose new navigational technologies have allowed them to, sail more proficiently than ever before.

III. And the African tribes whose nomadic and feudal way of life have placed themselves in a grave cultural warfare.

Native American SocietiesWhen we examined the Native American Societies we understood: There were millions of native people inhabiting

North America prior to Columbus.

These native people were highly civilized and lived together in well established communities and cities.

These people were intellectually advanced in agriculture, astronomy and finances.

These people were invaded and lost an ecological battle and then a cultural battle.

Once this happened, they were susceptible to being overcome by the Europeans who were a formidable foe.

The African society as a whole did not develop as quickly as Europe

Regionally Africa developing very

differently.

Western Africa developed more quickly because they eventually were able to sustain some agriculture.

Central Africa was mostly jungle and trade was based on animal skins and ivory.

Southern Africa developed the gold industry.

North eastern Africa developed a community based on trade with the Middle East countries.

This is where the Africa slave trade

began!

Only 6 domesticated plants for human use and no domesticable animals.

Feudal wars also led to human trafficking as a profitable commodity

The Thought Process If you have tried to look at the big picture then your

logical thought should be as such:

A fact, two ecosystems collide, one wins!

Three ethnic groups collide, one wins! Why?

We all know the answer, the European ecosystem overcame the North American ecosystem and the European culture over came the Native American Culture and on the way they enslaved the African culture.

But why and more how?

Think Different!

The Thought Process In fact there are more questions to be asked before we

look at the European societies:

Did the Europeans outnumber the Native Americans and the African people?

Were the Europeans more civilized?

Did they have a better food source?

Or did they have better technology which provided them the edge?

If so, how did this culture gain the technological advantage?

Analytical thinking

Three significant eras from this time period are recognized that really define the times in Europe during the 1400-1600’s; The Renaissance Period, the Age of Exploration and The Reformation.

The Dark Ages was a period of time in Europe of intellectual darkness and frequent warfare and a virtual disappearance of urban life.

As Europe began to move out of these Dark Ages people still were overshadowed and overpowered by the Church and the government. This caused the people to live a life of fear. They accomplished very little as they did not want to challenge the status quo.

European Societies

As the 1400 and 1500’s were ushered in, people began to think and to question authority more.

This new way of thinking began to emerge, more creativity was encouraged.

The arts flourished. Philosophical approaches to life, religion and

government began to challenge long standing beliefs and traditions.

Thinking also led to innovation. Innovation led to new technologies. In essence people as a whole began to critically

think about their surroundings.

The age of enlightenment

The Renaissance The Renaissance (meaning rebirth) is a period in the

history of Europe that began around 1400.

The period is called by this name because at that time, people started taking an interest in learning.

The Renaissance was seen as a "rebirth" of learning and is often said to be the start of our "modern age".

It was during this Renaissance period that we saw many famous artists, writers and philosophers.

Many people studied math and different sciences.

Leonardo da Vinci, was considered a Renaissance man because of his many different academic skills.

The Reformation The Reformation was a religious and

political movement that affected the practice of Christianity across most of Europe.

Many factors contributed to the process the decline of feudalism and the transmission of new knowledge and ideas among scholars.

The English Reformation was a series of events by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Roman Catholic Church.

The Age of Exploration The Age of Discovery is the European

overseas expansion that led to the Columbian Exchange:

The exchange of plants, animals, foods, human populations (including slaves), and culture between the Eastern and Western hemispheres.

This is considered one of the most significant global events concerning ecology, agriculture, and culture in history of mankind.

The Enlightenment The Enlightenment (or Age of Reason) was a

cultural movement of intellectuals during this time period

It first began first in Europe and eventually in the American colonies.

Its purpose was to change society using reason, challenge ideas grounded in tradition and faith, and advance knowledge through the scientific method.

The ideas of the Enlightenment has had a long-term major impact on the culture, politics, and governments of the United Sates government.

In conclusion Why did the Europeans win the cultural

war? Why have they been allowed to write

the history of which we study through their past voices?

Why do we still have the impact of a Eurocentric value system on our American culture today?

How was it that the European culture was able to overcome millions of people who lived in North America?

How were they able to survive such a treacherous lifestyle?

In conclusion The European Culture: Came out of the Dark Ages and the people as a

whole began to “think” critically and challenge authority.

The were more innovative in terms of technology, navigation, weaponry, medicine and warfare. They were adventuresome.

They established an edge through the ecological imperialism that had set the stage for their victory.

They believed that it was their right to take the land and the riches.

They were persistent and did not give up!